Ejiro looked out the window.

“Look at this place…”

Shroud, the city they were now in, was futuristic with all its giant overground pipelines, tall buildings, smaller houses, and bustling streets. However, being cut off from the rest of the world gave off a sense of isolation.

They had finally arrived. The Obscure Guild was a vast territory, yet Ejiro and Seth felt confined. They were only in the outer layer, and if they wanted to find Gabriella’s father, the vampire lord, Theodoric Rivampe, they would need to go to Vamp, one of the five capitals in the inner layer.

The Obscure Guild formed a circular structure with a concrete roof blocking the sunlight. The tall walls separated each of the ten layers, making it very secretive and hard to penetrate. Despite the hundred-and-fifty-year history of the guild, the Democratic Alliance never found a way to breach its walls.

Seth turned to Ejiro. "Let’s go. We have to find a way to breach into the second layer.”

Gabriella originated from the Obscure Guild, but she didn’t know how to go further without using the main gates.

…

The trio made their way downstairs, ending up in a massive underground mall. It was filled with various shops and vendors, offering everything from clothes and games to weapons and gear. The mall was so large and crowded that it was almost like it was the real Shroud City.

Seth, Gabriella and Ejiro walked through the bustling crowds hurriedly.

For the first time in her life, Gabriella saw the true nature of the Obscure Guild. Cameras occupied every corner, and officers looked to climb the ranks by arresting people based on their appearances and searching them for stolen items. They made sure to slip some of the loot into their own pockets.

Ejiro stopped at a group of citizens. He asked in an innocent tone, “Hey. Do you know how we could get to the second layer?”

A young woman took a step back. Uneasy, she could tell he was a foreigner by his appearance and skin tone.

“I-I'm not sure. Have you tried contacting the government?”

Ejiro pondered. “Do you know where the local governor lives?”

The woman’s boyfriend answered. “Hmm… Ismail Nasir resides in the bunker at the city’s southern edge.”

“Thank you.”

“Let’s go,” said Seth.

Seth Rayn had brought an all-purpose watch with him. Once they got out of the mall, he projected a map of Shroud onto a wall. The bunker wasn’t far away.

…

The entrance looked like that of a typical underground parking lot.

They invited themselves in before two guards stopped them.

Seth whispered, “Be careful. We’ll need to act quickly.”

“Halt! Who are you?”

Ejiro’s Dragonbone greatsword put a target on his head. The other guard pointed his gun at the old man.

Ejiro smiled.

The two guards froze.

In one swift strike, Ejiro had sliced their heads off, causing blood to gush out of their heads which then fell to the ground. Their bodies followed soon after, collapsing to the floor.

Ejiro gripped the hilt of his sword. "We don’t have much time. Let’s go.”

The three intruders marched down the dimly lit hallway. At the end of it, there was a wooden door and two huge guards.

Killing the guards wasn’t hard.

Seth pushed open the door.

On the other side, the governor, Ismail Nasir, was drinking a hibiscus tea in his chamber.

He looked at the intruders. Suddenly, his pupils dilated, and the cup of tea shattered on the floor. The two dead guards indicated danger. He got up from his metal chair and ran to the other side of the room, next to his bed.

Seth struck the wooden floor with his staff. “Good evening, governor. We’re here to ask if there’s a way to get past the walls and to Vamp. Secretly.” He emphasized the last word.

The local governor stuttered but answered nonetheless. “I- I could send a message to Vamp City. They’d let you in from the main gates after a quick investigation…”

The governor noticed Ejiro was gripping his heavy sword.

He raised his hands. “Uhm, you could go from the beachside… all the way southwest. Theoretically, you could sneak in from the sewers over there. H-however, that would only get you to the second layer!”

Seth approached him. Gabriella and Ejiro stayed behind him. “Understood. Now tell us, what do you know about the dictators who live in these five capitals? Is there any information that could spare you from dying?”

Ismail Nasir hesitated for a moment before shaking his head helplessly. "Wait, what about the Dark Faction? I think they still exist and have ties to the Five Cursed!"

“What else do you know?” asked Seth. He took another step forward.

“That’s all! I swear!” The governor backed down unto the wall.

Seth pointed his staff toward the scared crying governor. “Then I’ll give you a quick death.”

Ismail closed his eyes. In his last moment, he realized how tragic his life had been.

He didn’t even have family or friends to think about over his last breath.

A shadow engulfed him, and his body slowly dropped dead as it slid against the wall.

…

Far away, Isaac had woken up, his clothes covered in dirt. He looked around at the vastness of the land. All Isaac saw was dirt and ashes. He immediately realized where they had landed: The edge of the Wandering Lands, where, in the previous battle against the Topaz and Obscure guilds, none had survived, leaving only tens of kilometres of wastelands.

He then glanced at Aaron. His friend was injured, and a few of his bones were fractured. Isaac had also gotten hurt by the fall, but his red magic healed him.

He put his two hands over Aaron and started emitting red magic. “I can’t believe we survived that fall…”

Suddenly a feminine voice appeared from behind. "What are you two doing all the way out here?”

Isaac turned his head toward the voice. There were two people before him.

The tall and slender woman who had asked the question was Jenna, a lieutenant general of the DA in an all-black suit. She had light brown hair that flowed down to her shoulders and looked at Isaac and Aaron with worried brown eyes.

The one next to her was Luo, a handsome Air Force general in a silver-coloured suit. He had a strong jawline and piercing green eyes. His expression was stern yet kind.